Clock



M. A. GERSON CLOCK Filed July 20, 1926 I INVENTOR i 5' a if flltZZA.62/1507).

AUDHNEYS Patented Feb. 14, 1928.

UNITED STATES ATEN? use? .4 I

CLOCK.

Application filed July 20, 1926.

My invention relates to a new and improved self-winding electricalclock.

One of the objects of my invention is to devise an electrical clock ofsimple and enicient construction in which electrical mechanismautomatically winds up the spring means used for actuating the timemechanism and also the striking mechanism.

i'inother object of my invention is to devise a clock of this type whichcan be operated by means of dry cells and which will require a minimumamount of electrical energy and a minimum number o1 dry cells.

Another object or" my invention is to derise a clock of this type havingsimple and compact control mechanism for both the movement and strikingmembers of the clock.

Cther objects of my invention will be set forth in the followingdescription and drawings which illustrate a preferred embodimentthereof, it being understood that theabove general statement of theobjects of my invention is intended merely to generally explain the sameand not to limit it in any manner.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar toFig. 2 but showing the circuit open. Fig. l is a bottom plan view ofFig. 1.

Electrically actuated clocks have been previously proposed as, forexample, in U. S. Patent No. 703,953, but the control mechanism forclocks of this type has been con1- plical'ed and unsatisfactory.

Since certain fundamental parts of an electrically actuated clock are inthemselves known, I have only illustrated such essential parts as arenecessary for the complete understanding of my invention.

The plate 15 is suitably mounted in the clock casing and it is providedwith a barrel 10 which is revolubly mounted upon the base plate 15. Thebarrel 10 is revolubly and loosely mounted upon the shaft 11 in the wellknown manner and this barrel 10 is also connected to one end of a spiralspring S, the other end of the said spiral spring being connccted in thewell known manner to the shaft 11, so that when the barrel 10 is turnedto wind up the spring S, the said spring S causes the revolution of theshaft 11. The shaft 11 is connected by means of suitable gears to thetime indicating mechanism of the clock. The barrel 10 is connected to agear 11 and this gear 11 meshes with a gear Serial No. 123,638.

1 1. A ratchet wheel R is mounted upon the shaft of the gear let and theratchet wheel R is actuated by me.

mounted upon the sha t of the gear ll. the said lever l2 being providedwith a pawl 12 so that when the said lever 12 is oscillated itintormittentl turns the ratchet wheel R in one direction and thusintermittently causes the gear 11 to 1e turned in one direction. A 0.1second pawl l5 prevents the reverse move ment of the ratchet wheel R.

A control disk 3 is mounted upon the shaft 11 so that it turns in unisontherewith. This disc 3 revolves once in twelve hours and is equivalentto the twelve hour wheel of a clock. The control dislr 8 is providedwith eight outer slots 1 which may be designated as th e control slots,and the said control disk 53 is also provided with tour inner slots 2,which may be designated stril- '1 control slots.

.ns oi a iev r 12 loosely are connected to the respective ends of coilsof electromagnets M and lii.

A battery B has a wire or lead M which is permanently connected to theother ends of the said electromagnetic coils. The connection betweenwire M and the adjacent terminal of electromagnet M is conw ed by a wire80. Hence, when the circuit of battery B is closed, by either the switchlever 6 or by the switch lever 6, the current-passes through one of thesaid electromagnetic coils and energizes one of them.

The switch levers 6 and 6 are laterally extended as shown in Fig. l. andtheir laterally extended ends are adapted to contact with the arms 9 and9' oi a central contact nicmher which is mounted upon an insulated support 10. he said central contact member is connected by means of a wire7 to one terminal of the battery The wire 7 is connected to the centralcontact member by means of a screw 8, as shown in Fig. 1. l

r". r 1 v I ii are mended .ie levers 6 and s with upper extensions l andl and these have bevelled ends which are adapted to co-oper ate with theslots in the control disl: 1 so that the switch lovers 6 and 6 can bemoved to close the circuit of the battery B, as shown in 2 or they canbe moved so as to open the circuit of the battery B, as

disk 3.

control disk 3 is continuonsl moved in the clockwise direction asindicated by the arrow in Fig 1, the switch lever .6 only remains in thecircuit closing position for a short and predetermined period, becausethe top of the slotl forces the bevelled end or the extension atlaterally, thus moving the parts to the circuit opening position-shownin Fig. 3. Henee the lever 6 acts to close the circuit of the battery Bfor eight short equal and predetermined intervals of time for eachcomplete revolution of the control The control disk 3 makes a corn pleterevolution in 12 hours.

The extension 4 of the switch lever 6 is ofa similar construction sothat the switch lever. 6 remains in the circuit closing position fortour shortequal and predetermined periods of time during each revolutionof the control disk 'Due to the relative staggered positions oftheslots'l and 2, the switch lever (3 is moved to the circuit closingposition only when the corresponding lever 6 is in the circuit openingposition.

The armature A" of the 'electromagnet M' is adapted to cause the rapidvibrat on or the member 16 in the well known manner.

since the oscillation of said armature makes and breaks the circuit. Iienee, when the coil of the eleetromagnet M is energized, the rapidoscillation of the member 16 causes a correspondingarapid oscillation of:the lever 12 so that the barrel is moved to wind'up the spiral springS. r v

Since the striking mechanism requires less energy than thetime-indicating mechanism; I have only provided tour slots 2,incontradistinction to the eight slots 1. When the lever 6" in thecircuitclosing position. thestriking .meehanism wound up, and when thelever 6 is in the circuit closing position. the timeindicating mechanismis wound up.

The spring for the striking mechanism has a barrel having a gear wheel33 which meshes with a gear wheel 3% actuated by a lever 31 which isactuated by armature A. The mechanism is the same as that previouslyillustrated. I

' Hence; asingle control causes the proper.

winding up of the springs for the striking inechanism and the timeindicating mechanism. Since the striking mechanism requires less energythan the time-indicating mechanism, there are more slots 1 than slotsThe slots 1 and 2 are equivalent to cani' means- F or convenience thespringsof the striking spring. El i hen a. battery of the ordinary drycelltype, as illustrated herein, is used for winding up the mechani etaclock 1t desi "able that electric pot should be delivered intermittentlybythe battery torishort'periods, so as to enable. thepolarizingsubstanceto act most eliicientl'y. Jrccording to my invention power isdrawn from the battery B to wind upthe time spring, in a series of shortand'nniforn'ily separated periods, and power is drawn from the battery Bto'wind up the striking spring, in an internaediate seri sot' short andseparated periods. 'Hence the life of the battery is longer than itpower wastak'en therefrom to'sin'niltaneously wi -1 up the strikingspring. and the timespring.

I clain1: ,7 In a clock the coi'nbination of a disc connected tothetin'ie-train. said disc having two series 0t spaced.perforat1ons,-arranged in staggered relationship, two switch .le associated with saiddisc and having hen adapted to enter said perforations, said headshaving inclined ends so' that the move ment of said disc moves saidheads outwart ly andout of said slots, means adapted to turn said leversto force said heads'in wardly, two electromagnets, having separate makeand break armatures; the said switch levers closing the circuits oftheirrespeetive magnets when their heads are in lthe innerpositiointhe-said armatures being respectively connected to means forrespectively winding np the striking spring and the time sprin V Intestimony whereof I atlix my signature. Y

MAX a. sensor.

7 Clock may be termed the time spring and the a

